Pia, beauty queens back PH bid to host Miss Universe anew
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach has said that she supports the staging of the Miss Universe 2017 in the Philippines for the second time in a row later this year.
"Hindi ko pa po alam kung ano yung final na decision. Hintayin na lang po natin kung ano yung magiging announcement ng Miss Universe," said Wurtzbach in an interview on "TV Patrol" on ABS CBN. "Sana matuloy."
Rachel Peters, who will represent the Philippines in the prestigious beauty contest, said that holding the beauty pageant here would help uplift the country's image.
"Having the Miss Universe contest here would be a great opportunity for the Philippines to bounce back," Peters said.
Ariella Arida, who won 3rd runner-up in the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Russia, said that staging the beauty contest again would prove that the Philippines is still a safe place.
"Mawala na rin sana yung scare sa atin. To prove them we're still safe. We can still have this kind of event," said Arida, now one of the co-hosts of the popular game show "Wowowin' on GMA 7.
Tourism Undersecretary Kat de Castro said that there is so much interests to stage the Miss Universe contest once again in the Philippines.
"We have been getting a lot of feedback na kung pwede sa Philippines uli gawin. Tgnan natin yung mga logistics, finances," said De Castro.
But Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo has said that it is now in the hands of President Rodrigo Duterte to decide if our country should host beauty contest once again, during an interview on CNN Philippines on June 1.
Teo said in the same television interview that Miss Universe Organization President Paula Schugart will arrive in the country to discuss arrangements for the possible staging of the beauty pageant here.
"We have to ask the permission of the President. I already flowed the idea that they would want Miss Universe to be here. And he said, you know, we're still hosting the ASEAN," she said.
The Philippines will be hosting the second Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Pampanga on November 13 to 14.
"It will be in November. We're still considering if it's a go or no-go. There are many factors that we have to consider, although we started asking for sponsors. We got lots of yes from sponsors, they're willing," Teo said, during an interview on ''The Source.''
Iris Mittenaere of France won the 65th Miss Universe pageant held at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City last January 30, 2017.
If plans pushes through, this would be the fourth time in the history of the Miss Universe contest that the pageant would be held in the Philippines.
The pageant was previously held in Manila in 1974, 1994 and 2017. At the same time, this would be the second time that the contest would be held back-to-back outside of the US. The first one was in Puerto Rico (2001 and 2002). - ROBERT REQUINTINA
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